Side-opening lamp shade



May 13, 1958 E. F. GRoHsKoPF SIDE-OPENING LAMP SHADE Filed July 30, 1956 Fle. 2

FIG. 5

FIG. 3

ELMER F.'6ROH SKOPF United States latentJ This* inventionrelates V`to v lamp shades, andmoreparA ticula'rly'ftothe -conformationand-construction of `a lamp.

shade having sections thereof hingedto Aopenrlaterally to provideI a clear direct'lightupon-a predetermined adjacent, area.

The'mainfunctionof'currentlyavailable lampishadesA is, f to direct the light upwardly and-1' downwardly vfrom t the central vsource ofi-:illumination andl ito--diliuseand asoften. the; portionof light -which is transmitted.` laterally; andto-this endg4 shades are customarily open at'thel top andy bottom and arerrnoreyor less obscure and-colored. throughouttheir generally vertiealtsurface areas.- As-a consev quence,V particularly inthey case vof table` lamps, the t light provided-by 4themfisinadequate `forany. close ework: and Y quite `often for normal readingpurposes.

Eivorts have Abeen-made to-overcome this problemi by equipping :theshade-with-tilting-means by whichV it .-can., bte-tilted or moved-relative-to'ithe bulby or-.light,source, but` this has proved; unsatisfactory-y since the` bulb t is thereby permitted tOshine-direCtly-into theeyes\of persons-nearby-` VMy` inyention-rhas been made-with the foregoingconsiderations-inmind andf'can Ybesaid to have aplurality ofV important objectives;i

One Aimportant-object-of my invention isthe provision.

ofa lamp# shade-being adaptedwith side-openingmeans.- whereby segments-of 4gthe-lateral surfaceofJthe. shadernay be opened tovenable -direct rays;` from the bulb to, shine` uppn-predetermined-worksurfaces.

Anotherimportantobject of'- the inventionis the `provision-fof a lamp -shade device of; thecharacter describedx adaptedwvith"` hinge-means enabling apertures in-rthe side-A wall' of=theshade to :be openedorclosed.

AI further important object of myinventionA isgthe Aprovision offa lamp shade device. of the charactendescribed. in; which thehinge` meansareof the' frictiontypeand adaptedto holdL-theoutwardly-swinginghade sections any predetermined position.

Anadditionalimportant object of my invention A is the provisionorfja shadezdeyice of the character described whichy is. adaptediqr withlater, Shades Ofrmanyfsizas and shapes. Yand `is. of., simpleand. inronspiuaus.. i wristwa- Certain variatiqns. of'` the-embfotiimenffdsclqsgi herein.

lmpottaattehi 1S. f

2,834,87S Patented May 13, 1958 reice showing the hinged section disposedupwardlyandouta,

wardly of the normal peripheryof the shade;

Figure 4 is a side elevational viewshowing a variationv ofthe embodiment seen in .Figure l -including two hinged.

sections, and` Figure 5 is a fragmentary view showing the hingedsections` of Figure 4 as Ytheyappear when swung .to the, open.

position.

Reference is` againmade to Figure 1 in which the,

numeral 10. designates alampshade constructed.accord-V ing torny invention and having an upper circumferential rim 11 anda lower circumferential rim 12` whichrare spaced apart by vertical members not seen in .the gure.

The lower rimV 12 is seen to bend upwardly at right angles at the corner 13 :and .isarcuately conformed around the., top 14 and downwardly to the tcorner 15 frornwhich; it

is continued in coplanaralignmentwith the rim portion.

indicated at 12.

The lower rim 12 and theupwardly 'arched` sectionr14 thereof from the corner 13 to.15 are, in this particular.,

embodiment, oifchannellar construction beingsubstantially U-shaped in cross sectional conformation as t is better seen at 14 in Figure 2.

The movable sectionl is also provided with a channellar frame the base of `which is shown at 18 -to be insubfu stantial alignment with,the. lower rim 12 of the` shade and the arcuateupper rim 20 is concavo-convex in formV so as tofollow. the generally cylindricaltapered form, of thesidewall of the shade 10. The frame of. they movable section 16, including the base 17, thearcuate upper rirn 20v andthe generally parallel sides 18and 19,. is solidly joined sorthat it constitutes a structurally rigid member, and is connected ,to the rim 14 of the` shade byv the hinge member 21 which is also better seen in the. sectionalview ofFigureZ which is taken along the line and in the direction indicated by the arrows 2-2 in. Figure l.

In the sectional view of Figure 2 thegenerallyk U-,shaped form of the channel sections 14vand20vis clearly shown, in their relative positioning with respectY to thehinge member 21 which is aflixedl to the two channel sections over the upper point of contact thereof. A fragmentary portionV of the sidewall ofthe shade above the hinge; 21 is designated by the numeral 10, and the inner panelpf the movable section is seen at 16. The sidewall andgthel4 panel` material is retained within the channellar rims: by suitable adhesive means it thematerial is iiexible, and by crimping the inner andV outer edges, asvseen at 20j-M1.l and 20-0, of the channelled rims along the edgesof stiff material such as parchment or sheet plastic. i

In` actualgpractie, and particularly in cases` where stiffY material such as heavyv paper,Y parchrnentor. sheetiplasl'I tiey material is used, the.- actual piece of` material-such as the panel 16 which isrcut-out ofthe. shade 104 tofrin the aperture in lamp sidewall, is utilizedk for 4the panel material of the movable section, andthe advantage ofthe U-shaped rim in this connection is obviousl In Figure 3 the. movable section 16 is shown disposed upwardly of theframe 14 of the lamp shade 1t` wnh'ith'e. light bulb 22M` andsockettherefore 23 indicatedin phan-` tom to show their relative positioninginteriorly of." the shade 10;. In gure it will be observed thatithe lower rim 12 of the shade 1Qisprovidedy with extension members 24 and 25 disposed inwardly of the Vapertlrel from the. inner edge of thel rim 12'1w`hich act as `stopsto.

the sidewall of the lamp.

28 areseen to be swung outwardly on their hinges thereby providing an unobstructed aperture 36 therebetween interiorly of which an electric light bulb 37 and socket therefore 38 are shown in phantom to indicate the position of the light source relative to the aperture 36.

Also in Figure 5, a stop member 39, positioned at Y the top of the arcuate rim 31is also seen to be extended downwardly from the inner surface of the rim 31 so as to engage the upper corners of the movable sections at the points designated by the lnumerals 40 and 41.

As has been previously mentioned, the various hinges are of the friction type adapted to remain in any position to which they are adjusted and therefore serve to hold the movable sections of the shade at any desired angles so that they may serve not only to provide openings but as shields to prevent the light from the bulb 37 from shining in the eyes of persons seated nearby.

As was the case with the particular shade form shown in Figure 3, the aperture 36 in Figure 5 is completely open and the lower channellar rim 42 is inset upwardly as at 31 around the aperture 36 and does not extend across the bottom of the aperture as might be supposed from a casual inspection of the drawing.

Numerous modifications and variations of the present invention will occur to those skilled in the art after a careful study hereof. All such, properly within the basic spirit and scope of the present invention are intended to be included and comprehended herein as fully as if specifically described, illustrated and claimed herein.

The exact compositions, configurations, constructions, relative positionings, and cooperative relationships of the various component parts of the present invention are not critical, and can be modified substantially within the spirit of the present invention.

wThe embodiments of the present invention specifically described and illustrated herein are exemplary only, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention, which is to be interpreted in the light of the prior art and the appended claims only, with due consideration for the doctrine of equivalents.

' I claim:

l. A side-opening lamp shade, comprising: a substantially conventional lamp shade having an upper supporting rim and a lower supporting rim and a generally upwardly directed sidewall disposed therebetween; a sectionof said lower rim and said sidewall being separated from said shade, providing a lateral door-aperture therein; said lower rim of said shade being provided with an aperture edge rim extending along the edge of said dooraperture; and being of U-channel conformation having parallel sides receiving, effectively holding, and supporting in a rigid manner therebetween edge portions of said sidewall of said shade defining said lateral door-aperture; said separated section of said lower rim being provided with a door edge rim extending around the outer edge of said separated sidewall section and being of `U-channel conformation having parallel sides receiving, effectively holding, and supporting in a rigid manner therebetween edge portions of said separated sidewall section and effectively ydefining a door dimensioned to intert within said aperture edge rim extending along the edge of the dooraperture; frictional hinge means fastened to said aperture edge rim `carried by said shade and also fastened to said door edge rim carried by said door, said frictional hinge means normally frictionally mounting and holding said door within said aperture and in substantial peripheral alignment with said sidewall of said shade, said frictional hinge means including two hinge portions forcibly frictionally engaged in interleaved frictional contact with each other and frictionally pivotally cooperable to fixedly support said door in rotatively displaced position with respect to said aperture at any predetermined outwardly projecting angle with respect to said sidewall of said shade; and stop means carried by said rim extending inwardly with respect to said aperture along the inner edges of said rim and abuttingly cooperable with said door holding same in substantial peripheral alignment with said sidewall of said shade when said door is closed with respect thereto.

2. A side-opening lamp shade, comprising: a substantially conventional lamp shade having an upper supporting rim and a lower supporting rim and a generally upwardly directed sidewall disposed therebetween; a section of said lower rim and said sidewall being separated from said shade, providing a lateral door-aperture therein; said lower rim of said shade being provided with an aperture edge rim extending along the edge of said door-aperture and being of -Uehannel conformation having parallel sides receiving, effectively holding, and supporting in a rigid manner therebetween edge portions of said sidewall of said shade defining said lateral door-aperture; said separated section of said lower rim being provided with a door edge rim extending around the outer edge of said separated sidewall section and being of U-channel conformation having parallel sides receiving, effectively holding, and supporting in a rigid manner therebetween edge portions of said separated sidewall section and effectively deining a door dimensioned t-o intert within said aperture edge rim extending along the edge of the dooraperture; said aperture' edge rim and said door edge rim each including a substantially laterally directed portion at the top thereof; frictional hinge means centrally fastened to said upper laterally directed portions of said aperture edge rim and said door edge rim, said frictional hinge means normally frictionally mounting and holding said door within said aperture and in substantial peripheral alignment with said sidewall of said shade, said frictional hinge means including two hinge portions forcibly frictionally engaged in interleaved frictional contact with each other and frictionally pivotally cooperable to xedly support said door in upwardly rotatively displaced position with respect to said aperture at any predetermined outwardly projecting angle with respect to said sidewall of said shade; and a pair of stop members extending inwardly with respect to said aperture along the inner edges of said lower rim of said shade and abuttingly cooperable with the lower edge of said door holding same in substantial peripheral alignment with said sidewall of said shade when said door is closed with respect thereto.

3. A side-opening lamp shade, comprising: a substantially conventional lamp shade having an upper supporting rim and a lower supporting rim and a generally upwardly directed sidewall disposed therebetween; a pair of symmetrical adjacent separate sections of said sidewall and said lower rim being separated from said shade, providing a lateral door-aperture therein; said lower rim of said shade being provided with an aperture edge rim extending along the edge of said door-aperture and being of U-channel conformation having parallel sides receiving, effectively holding, and supporting in a rigid manner therebetween `edge portions of said sidewall of said shade defining said lateral door-aperture; each of said pair of separated sections of said lower rim being provided with a dooredge rim extending around the outer edge of a different one of said pair of symmetrical adjacent separated sidewall sections and being of U-channel conformation having parallel sides receiving, effectively holding, and supporting in a rigid manner therebetween edge por- 5 tions of the sidewall of the corresponding one of said pair of symmetrical adjacent separated sidewall sections and eiectively dening a pair of symmetrical laterally adjacent separate doors dimensioned to interit within said aperture edge rim extending along the edge of said door-aperture; said aperture edge rim ad the corresponding door edge rim of each of said doors including two substantially vertical laterally spaced portions at the sides thereof; frictional hinge means laterally fastened to each of said vertical portions of said aperture edge rim and said door edge rims, said frictional hinge means normally frictionally mounting and holding each of said laterally adjacent doors within said aperture and in substantial peripheral alignment with said sidewall of said shade, each of said frictional hinge means including two hinge portions forcibly frictionally engaged in interleaved frictional contact with each other and frictionally pivotally cooperable to xedly support each of said doors in outwardly rotatively displaced position with respect to said aperture at any predetermined outwardly projecting angle with respect to said sidewall 4of said shade; and

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,035,624 McGhee Aug. 13, l1912 FOREIGN PATENTS 16,068 Great Britain 1892 672,130 France Mar. 27, 1929 

